UMaine’s Mike Allison a defensive fixture for men’s basketball

The University ofMaine men’s basketball team is 7-11 this season, 5-2 at home, and have won four of their last seven games. Senior center Mike Allison has been a large contributor in the Black Bears’ recent success.

“We started kind of slow but have improved as we got into conference play,” Allison said. “We should have played better against [The University of] Albany and [The University of] Hartford.”

He continued, saying, “We are talented,but we need to play together better and find the right person at the right spot.”

The 6-foot-9-inchforward has been a solid player for UMaine in his final season, averaging seven points per game and shooting over 54 percent from the field — good for second on the team. Allison is also second on the team in rebounds, with 120 and a season high of 17.

“We’ve rebounded well this year and our driving has been good, but we need to be more open for three’s and decrease our turnovers,” he said.

Allison also believes thatstaying aggressive and locking down shooters are the keys to the Black Bears’ upcoming games.